First storm of the season ?

Well, the first that will directly affect us. Lots of storms and a few hurricanes but all well offshore. This has possibly the driest summer in the 10+ year I've been here. Hopefully this will dry out the surrounding farmland so more crops will be planted. We'll find out in the next few days.

From NOAA

Regardless of development, gusty winds and heavy rains causing flash floods and mud slides are expected in coastal portions of the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit this weekend into early next week. Interests in these areas and Baja California Sur should monitor the progress of this disturbance.

United States Embassy Mexico City
Security Message for U.S. Citizens:
Severe Weather in Mexico
September 3, 2016

The U.S. Embassy cautions U.S. citizens that severe weather is expected to bring gusty winds and very heavy rains to southwestern Mexico. Total rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches with isolated totals up to 15 inches are expected through the weekend into early next week over the southern Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit. These rains could result in life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

Biosfera Sierra de Manantlan

This is a beautiful area and the most beautiful are not real easy to access. I've seen a very little bit from the Colima side and considerably more from the Jalisco side. Cuzalapa (the coffee town) is part of it as well as the 3-4 little towns on the way to Durazno. There is a road that goes from the Jalisco side over the top and down into Colima but I don't have the car to try it in. The biological station, sponsored by UNAM I think, is accessed further up highway 80.

Did you know? The Biosphere Reserve Sierra de Manantlán is included in the International Network of Biosphere Reserves UNESCO MAB program. It is an important bird conservation site and is one of the priority mountains for Conservation in Mexico.

A back road trip to Cuzalapa and Durazno

Whale watching season begins

CONANP (La Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) reports that the 2015-2016 season for watching the Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) started from December 1st this year until March 23, 2016 in Bahia de Banderas, located in Jalisco, Nayarit and covering Marietas Islands National Park and Isla Isabel. 

Of course that only means you may see more of them north of our area but if you've ever been out fishing here in the winter you know they come here as well. I've seen some nice fotos taken from the beach in La Manzanilla.

Policia municipal cihuatlan jalisco.

Somebody made a statement about the Municipal Police of Cihuatlan on Facebook and lots of people agreed. There have been complaints about their response time and their general effectiveness. They are also not very well funded. Funny foto anyway.

Discover KaraKara Eco Resort

I swear if all development plans went through and the dead projects brought back to life the whole Jalisco coast would be one solid resort. Maybe that's where they got the phrase "The New Cancun" for coastline near Tomatlan.  These KaraKara  people will take your money even though they haven't yet found a location. How crazy is that?

Phase 1 of the development: We are identifying location and will announce shortly

Some of their nonsense ....

TreaZureZ is a master planned, multi-phased, sustainable development that fuses the rich culture and architecture of old Mexico with today’s earth-friendly water, waste and power technologies.

Phase 1 of the development: We are identifying location and will announce shortly.

Development in this area will include an Eco-Resort containing 24 yurts, a boutique hotel with beach club, residential condominiums, private residential homes, condominium hotel product, a commercial center and a golf course with clubhouse.

Become part of the exciting developments of TreaZureZ by becoming a Private Membership Club Member!

-----------------

Experience the “Luxury of Nature” at KaraKara.

KaraKara Eco Resort is located on a spectacular uninhabited 10 km section of beach and private bays on the remarkable Pacific Coast of Costalegre, located between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, Jalisco, Mexico.

The name "Costalegre", which literally translates as "Coast of Joy", is known as "The Virgin Coast" of Mexico. It remains one of the last unspoiled coastal areas of Mexico.

Do not miss the opportunity to be part of this unique project in Mexico!

Discover KaraKara Eco Resort - Website

Rain this winter in Jalisco due to El Niño

8 January of 2015.- The months of January, February and March are traditionally dry. However, the first quarter of 2015 could record sporadic rains in Jalisco, due to the presence of El Niño, which occurs when the waters of the Pacific Ocean have an increase in temperature, reported Meulenert Angel Peña, professor and researcher of the Institute Astronomy and Meteorology of the University of Guadalajara (University of Guadalajara).

"If the tropical Pacific warming more than normal, can cause an imbalance in the atmosphere and that imbalance manifests so that in some areas of the planet rain when it's not the rainy season" said the expert.

Entre enero y marzo habría lluvias en Jalisco por El Niño

Tropical Storm Elida

Tropical Storm Elida went from nothing to a tropical storm almost over night. It looks to be held against the coast by Tropical Storm Douglas.   Prognosis is not to get much stronger but I doubt they know where it will go in the next day or two.  To be certain it will mean more rain for us here on the coast of Jalisco.

Don't often see two of them together

Satellite of East Pacific

RAINFALL...ELIDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE MEXICAN STATES OF COLIMA AND MICHOACAN...AND OVER THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF JALISCO. ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

Rain, rain, rain and no storm

Nothing coming in from the ocean but it still has been raining a little or a lot almost every day for the last 2 weeks. This is definitely the wettest Spring I have experienced here on the Jalisco coast. It's kind of a typical tropical with usual clearing mid-day followed by clouding up and rain in the evening.  Clouds usually forming over the mountains and then moving down to us.

It rained all last night, main road became a stream, lagoon backed up so we could see it and the puddles/lakes on the way to Melaque became a little deeper. Better by the 1pm school run but still got splash over my hood.   I have turned around in the past before getting into Melaque and saying ... "No school today"   They really need to get the road grader out to cover the larger holes because they only get deeper each rain

Just before the rain came in on the left (east)

The remnants of Ernesto

As of this morning most of Ernesto's weather system has passed over Mexico to the Pacific. Even tho the heart of the tropical depression is near the coast of Guerrero we have a solid cloud cover here in Jalisco. I just hope whatever it does next it does it slowly so not to disrupt flight plans tomorrow afternoon.

Hurricanes that cross over are rare with the last Atlantic to Pacific being Earl in 2004. Tropical Storm Hermine in 2010 went in the other direction, from the Pacific to the Gulf and continued to the US. Crossover storms will be reclassified and renamed as they enter their new domain

Best vivero on the Costalegre

I would have waited a little longer to visit this nursery but there was a surf competition in the area so I combined the two into one Saturday. I've passed by a number of times but never really noticed it, tho heard of it. It's about the last place on the north side of town

A great old guy that seems to run it and he'll talk to you about ideas you may have; size, speed of growth, fertilizer, soil, etc. They also have a great garden soil for sale that looks to be mostly shredded coco shells.

I came back with a Carambola (star fruit), a Chico Zapote (Sapote) and an avocado that is supposed to do well on the coast. Also two Sisus vines that are like Ivy. Prices aren't much cheaper than I find in the Melaque area but the place is so large you have a much better selection. There were two pickup trucks filling up with like 40-50 of the same plants making me think they supply the local hotels.

VIVEROS DE LA COSTA Tel: (315) 351 0711
Km 41, Carretera Federal 200, Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco

What you see from the highway

It goes on

... and on

... and on

Young Buganvilla

Hurricane Jova Video

This video was made by a Storm Chaser and was taken in Emiliano Zapata which is about 50 kilometers north of Melaque. The winds there were much stronger than I experienced in Melaque. Good video

 

From iCyclone.com: Footage from the violent inner core of Hurricane Jova as it raked Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, Mexico on 11-12 October 2011. The wind starts to really pick up at 2:29, steadily building to a ferocious climax at 4:26.

I survived Jova

Not literally ... but early the morning after neighbors were waving to each other from their second floors just like you see in the flood disaster videos.

The wind woke me about 4am, I checked my car and there was only about 6 inches of water around it. I went to the unfinished upstairs to watch the storm for about an hour and a half and when I came downstairs I noticed water in the patio. I thought the pool had over flowed but then noticed the water was brown. Took another look at my car on the street and water was up on the hood ... too late to move it. Headed back to the bedroom and noticed water coming in from the garage. Since I had not prepared my pile of sandbags I had to sit and watch the house fill with a foot and a half of water and mud. I spent the rest of the night upstairs waiting for daylight. Closest thing to a flash flood I can imagine without a wall of water. Only took two hours for water to overflow the canal by 5-6 feet.

About 9am a few families started to walk out when the water had reached waist height and the bridge was passable. I waited till noon and headed for Vern and Elke's where I am to this day. My car got towed to a auto cleaning place yesterday and will head to a mechanic Monday. The neighbors are cleaning the house I was "sitting" and most of the houses in the area have cleaning crews in them.

So I'm actually quite lucky but many home owners NOT. My house in Pinal Villa was not affected except the access road is pretty bad. Lots of road closures in Jalisco and Colima. The Marabasco river overflowed and flooded Cihuatlan ... and actually cut a channel to the Barra lagoon which became a river mouth.

 

 

Cleanup efforts are massive here and emergency food is being brought in by the military. Spirits are surprisingly high and the sun is out

Families walk out as water receded

What the area looked like about 9am

Hurricane Jova experience in Melaque

Fiesta de Bautizo

Mi Bautizo (baptism) is what the card the neighborhood kids gave me because one of their moms would have a baby in a few days. At least that's what they used for an excuse for a fiesta. The card was actually from last May for another Bautizo at the church.

Why me? Because I have fruit for the pinata, maybe a gift and some money for globos (balloons). I let the kids in the yard to get some limones (limes) and guayabas then they noticed the ciruela (plum) tree. We had to place a ladder against the wall to get the ciruelas and nobody fell!! The ciruelas were just turning red so this is the first time I tried them. Very large pits.

They needed the balloons for decoration but also for the game of gallina where everyone ties a balloon around their ankle and take turns trying to stomp on the other persons balloon. Kinda like chicken fighting.

They also needed me for duct tape to make the pinata. Problem was it was so strong it wouldn't break so it was decided to throw the prizes off the a neighbor's roof. Not good for the fruit as they exploded on impact except for the limes. They did make a good cleanup crew using every broom in the neighborhood.

Neighborhood fiesta in Jocotepec, Jalisco Mexico

Ballet Folklorico Monumental Bicentenario

Ballet Folklorico Monumental Bicentenario en Jocotepec

The show started yesterday at 4-5ish on the Jocotepec malecon featuring ballet folklorico troupes from 13 communities in the lakeshore region. The finale at 7 p.m. had 650 couples and a live mariachi playing and dancing the El Tranchete, Las Alazanzas, El Son de la Negra and the ever popular Jarabe Tapatio, better known to gringos as the Mexican hat dance.

Organized by Jalisco’s Ministry of Culture in conjunction with the Independence bicentennial festivities, the massive ballet folokorico program brings together dance groups from the municipalities of Atotonilco el Alto, Ayotlan, Chapala, Degollado, Jamay, Jocotepec, La Barca, Octolan, Poncitlan, Tizapan el Alto, Tototlan, Tuxcueca and Zapotlan del Rey.

Cicadas - Rainbirds - Chicharras

The Cicada or Rainbird song is something most of us in Mexico are familiar with about this time of year. They crawl out of their hibernation holes not long before the rains and begin the song that some say is calling for the rain to come. There are a number of Chicharra festivals around Mexico this time of year anticipating the rain and it's no coincidence these are music festivals

 

So the Cicadas (Chicharras) sing in El Limon Jalisco in May, inviting people to come to the hill to bring pitayas.

Concepcion de Buenos Aires

My first short expedition after hernia surgery not quite 3 weeks ago. Short because even extended sitting makes me uncomfortable and they say 4-6 weeks is normal recovery.

So anyway a drive down the south side of Lake Chapala was the plan maybe to Petatán and see the pelicans if they were still there. Thoughtful me without my map I didn't know how far Petatán was and made it as far as Cojumatlán - both in Michoacan. Cojumatlán is a large town and Sundays are the day for everyone to meet at the plaza. Couldn't find parking within 4 blocks and didn't feel like being the only gringo with a camera in the huge crowd - so back to Amacueca and maybe head inland.

A friend told me about Concepción de Buenos Aires somewhere off the new road to Mazamitla as being an attractive place to visit. The turn off is about 10-12 miles up the hill from Amacueca to the right. Putting that name on a road sign is next to impossible so you'll see something like - Cocep de BA. About 12-15 miles on this secondary road full of not very deep potholes appears the gates to Concepcion.  Without a map in this area it's hard to tell if you are in Jalisco or Michoacan.

The town reminds me of a number of Colonial mountain towns like Tapalpa, Mazamitla or even Patcuaro with the tile roofs, buildings painted similarly and lots of wood. However this town was only founded in the 1850's and became head of it's municipio in the 1880's. The sign on the entrance to town says - 'Land of the friendly people'

Highway Tuba Vendors

Even though this section of highway 54 is actually in Jalisco it's the gateway to Colima. They have been working on widening the section over the canyons for about a year but now it looks like they may be adding another lane or two. With so much hillside to move they have had to close one lane in a few places for the last month.

Stopping traffic for extended periods for months requires vendors and sure enough the Tuba vendors from Colima are stationed at each stopping point. Tuba is a palm drink made from the sap of the tree. It originated in the Philippines and was imported during the Spanish Gallon trade

Tuba Vendor

Remolque arrives

Remolque is a trailer in Spanish and this one now sits on my lot. Looks bigger here than on the open lot on the other fotos ... and it is big. I was originally told 23' but this is 28' which makes a big difference in a trailer. Still not leveled and weight taken off the axels but will do that on the next trip.

Seems to be home to a bunch of ants that I believe are termites so will fumigate in the next few days. Lots of wood framing inside a trailer and don't want to find a pile of aluminum on my next visit. The trailer sat unused for almost a year and ants will find a way if there is food. Project will continue with water and power hookups in April - after Semana Santa.

The trick will be to cover it from rain and sun. We've been thru many palapa/ramada roof configurations and have not decided yet.

Guys working on the drain to septic


Just sitting

RV living in Melaque, Jalisco Mexico

Nevado de Colima

Nevado de Colima even though it's not in Colima but Jalisco. Took these on the way back from a week in Melaque on highway 54 about even with Ciudad Guzman. Very pleasant week, good weather, saw lots of friends and mostly worked on my property.  The coast is green - most years it's brown in late December

Back to the Jocotepec Malecon

It's just a pleasant place to relax, watch people and get away from town. I also see why people from Guadalajara come her - it's the country and the lake.

They removed the lirio from the harbor and the tour boat is back in action, I assume for the holidays which continue here in Joco through most of January. The boat ride just goes down to San Juan Cosala and back. 60 pesos for adults and 30 pesos for kids. Might have to do it one day.

What looks like a kids playground in the park is actually exercise equipment of a large variety and well built. A few kids were trying to make toys out of them without much luck. Then there's the neat sculptures, the long malecon and a walk on the pier.

Jocotepec Malecon, Jalisco Mexico